The Secret History of Evil
by S.N.N.E.E
Summary: Some time ago, Scooby and the gang closed the case on one of their greatest mysteries yet. But when an old friend needs their help, they realize that the mystery has only just begun, and it goes deeper than they ever imagined.
1. Intro

"I think this is it," Fred Jones said, stopping the Mystery Machine in front of a yellow house in the suburbs. "Is this the right place, Shag?"

"I don't know," Shaggy Rogers answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" asked Daphne Blake, turning around to look at Shaggy. "Have you never been here?"

"Like, no."

"You mean in all the time you two dated, you never went to her house?" asked Velma Dinkley.

"We weren't even together that long!" Shaggy said defensively.

"It doesn't matter," said Fred. "I'm pretty sure this is the right address. Come on, gang."

"Scoob, you should probably, like, wait here," Shaggy told his loyal companion as the four humans stepped out of the van.

"Row come?" Scooby-Doo asked.

"She's allergic to dogs, man, remember? We can't take you in her house. Sorry, buddy."

"Besides, we shouldn't be long," said Daphne. "I, for one, want to get this over with very quickly."

Scooby frowned, but he complied. He climbed into the front seat and watched as his friends made their way to the front door.

Before any of them could knock on the door, it opened, and a familiar face greeted them.

"Thank God you all are here," said Mary Jane. She was a friend that the gang had made on Spooky Island, an amusement park where they had solved one of their most dangerous mysteries ever. One at a time, her eyes met theirs, lingering on Shaggy's the longest.

Shaggy started to say something, but Fred spoke first. "Where is it?"

"Follow me," Mary Jane said, opening the door all the way and leading them into her home. "I know the place is a mess. I'm sorry. I've been a little paranoid ever since the Spooky Island thing."

The gang made their way around, between, and over several piles of books, clothes, canned foods, even small safes, until finally, they were all standing in what appeared to be a study.

"I found it in one of the pockets of this suitcase. It's one of the bags I took to the Island," Mary Jane said. "I didn't put it there, I swear. I didn't put anything in that pocket."

"Which is why you didn't think to look in it until this morning, right?" asked Velma.

"Exactly. I knocked over the suitcase on my way through here, and I heard it in there when the suitcase fell."

"I'm probably gonna regret this, but…" Fred hesitated, "show us."

With a worried look on her face, Mary Jane opened the pocket wide enough for everyone to see what was inside.

"Shit," Daphne said, covering her mouth after realizing she had said it out loud.

"That's really it," Velma said, her eyes as wide as everyone else's. "The Daemon Ritus."


	2. Splitting Up

"Like, please by careful with that thing, Velma," Shaggy said, watching her carefully take the relic out of the suitcase to examine it. "The last time we handled that contraption, it gave 'out-of-body experience' a whole new meaning."

"Don't worry, Shaggy," the bespectacled girl replied. "All of us are… well… us."

"So it shouldn't give us any trouble?" asked Fred.

"I hope not. I'll be honest, though. If it does start acting up, I'll be more fascinated than angry. There's so much about this and the island that I never got a chance to study."

"What we should be studying," said Daphne, "is how that thing ended up _here_."

"That is a good question," said Fred, turning his gaze from the Daemon Ritus to look at Mary Jane. "Is there anything else you want to tell us?"

"I'm afraid not," MJ answered.

"We already know that thing is used for real dark magic, right?" suggested Shaggy. "So maybe it, like, magically appeared in her bag overnight."

"Hmm. Seems more likely that someone planted it there," said Velma. "But why?"

"Maybe it's because of us," said Daphne. "Maybe someone on the island saw Mary Jane hanging out with us and planted it in her bag, knowing that she would get us involved."

"So, somebody," Shaggy gulped, "or some _thing_ from Spooky Island is still out to get us?"

"It's likely that there were more people in on Scrappy's plan than we thought," said Fred.

"Well, that plan revolved around Scooby, so, like, maybe we ought to keep him close," said Shaggy, turning to go back to the van.

"Actually," Velma said, stopping him, "I think our best bet to keep Scooby safe is to keep him far away from the Daemon Ritus."

"Well, somebody should still at least be with him," Shaggy replied.

"He's right," said Fred. "Scooby isn't safe by himself, and he isn't safe near this thing. Shaggy and one other person should take the Mystery Machine and make tracks."

"I could go," offered Mary Jane, which made Shaggy both happy and worried.

"No, I will," said Daphne. "I'm sorry, Mary Jane, but until we have more information, you're kind of a suspect."

"I have nothing to do with this, I promise," MJ asserted.

"Then you won't mind staying away from Shaggy _and_ Scooby-Doo and sticking here with us," said Velma, "just until we can gather some facts."

MJ nodded, visibly dejected.

"Then it's settled," Daphne said, getting the keys from Fred, and leading Shaggy back outside. "Come on."

Fred peeked through the blinds of the nearest window to watch his friends leave, equally worried about the safety of his beloved Mystery Machine.

"Mary Jane, do you have a computer that we can use?" asked Velma.

"In my bedroom upstairs. Follow me."

The way Mary Jane weaved through the various heaps of junk scattered around her house was almost like a dance. A dance that Fred and Velma were struggling to keep up with. Fortunately, the stairs were mostly clear. Just some canned foods, there in case of an emergency, Velma figured. _Un_ fortunately, upon reaching the top of the stairs, Velma slipped on a stray can.

"Oh!" she let out a cry, alerting Fred. He was able to grab her hand and keep her from falling, but all three watched as the Daemon Ritus slipped out of Velma's grasp and made its way down the stairs.

"You alright, Velms?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Velma started to head back down to get the Daemon Ritus, but Mary Jane stopped her.

"Wait!" MJ cried, pointing down at the relic. "What's it doing?"

Fred gulped, not knowing what might happen. "It's opening."


	3. Disappearing Act

"Well, what do we do?" a frightened Mary Jane asked Fred and Velma.

Neither detective knew what to say. Fred and Velma looked first at each other, then at the Daemon Ritus, now sitting, opened, at the bottom of the stairs.

After several seconds of nobody speaking or moving, Velma began to walk down the stairs.

"Velma…" Fred started.

"We'll never figure anything out by staying away from it," Velma noted, taking each step slowly. "Like I said, I want to keep studying it."

"We have no idea what'll happen if you touch it," Fred said with a mixture of sharpness and worry.

"What if something bad happens?" asked MJ.

"Then you call the others," Velma answered, almost at the bottom of the stairs. "I have to learn about this thing. It's almost like… it wants me to study it. I know that sounds strange, but I feel like it's calling me."

"Well now I definitely don't think we should mess with it," said Fred, starting down the stairs to stop Velma.

"Fred, look," said Velma, bending down and picking up the device. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Guys, is everything okay?" asked Mary Jane, now standing alone at the top of the stairs.

"Everything is fine," Velma answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Fred asked, looking at the relic his friend held, which was beginning to glow. "Velma?"

"You guys?" called MJ.

"Velma," Fred said again, louder this time.

Velma didn't answer though. She just stared at the Daemon Ritus and began to mouth words that Fred couldn't make out.

"Velma!" Fred cried a third time, trying with all his strength to pry the object away from her.

"Oh my god!" Mary Jane gasped, making her way down the stairs and attempting to help Fred.

Once all three people had their hands on the Daemon Ritus, its glow began to get brighter.

"What's happening!?" Mary Jane yelled.

"Velma!" Fred shouted a final time, as he was finally blinded by the light.

Then, in an instant, everything was calm. The light faded, and the Daemon Ritus fell to the floor. Velma, Fred, and Mary Jane had disappeared.


End file.
